Tag Archives: fresh

Oregon Blackberry Salad with Beets and Carrots

Oregon is widely known for both its cultivated and wild blackberries. Here in Southern Oregon, wild blackberries can be found along roadsides, on fences, and on the banks of creeks and rivers. In some places, there are so many blackberry vines that some people consider them to be noxious weeds and try removing them completely from their property or backyards. By mid to late summer the local Southern Oregon blackberries are ripe and ready to pick. Something to consider when using blackberries in any of your favorite recipes is knowing that the cultivated berries tend to be bigger in size, are slightly sweeter and can be a bit a juicier than their wild counterparts. Whether they are cultivated or wild, blackberries are wonderfully versatile little fruits that taste simply amazing.

One of my favorite ways to use blackberries is to make a sweet and tangy blackberry vinaigrette and drizzle it on my Oregon Blackberry Salad with Beets and Carrots. My Oregon Blackberry Salad is a colorful combination of some of the best local ingredients that I can find during the hot summer months. The sweet juicy blackberries combined with the earthiness of red beets and crunchy carrots makes it a stunningly vibrant summer salad. My Oregon Blackberry Salad with Beets and Carrots is easy to make, and tastes absolutely fantastic! Enjoy! Tessa

Blackberry Vinaigrette Ingredients:

1 cup fresh picked blackberries

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbs honey

1 Tbs shallots (minced)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper or to taste

1 Tbs water if needed

In a blender, add the blackberries, red wine vinegar and pulse until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of water if the blackberry vinegar mixture is too thick. Remove from blender and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl in order to remove the seeds. Discard seed mixture. Add to olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, minced shallots, salt and pepper into the blackberry mixture to the bowl and whisk until well incorporated. Taste and correct your seasonings. Store the blackberry vinaigrette in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Makes 1 cup or 8 servings.

For one salad:

2 cups fresh green lettuce or your favorite greens

1/4 cup fresh blackberries

1/4 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup shredded beets

1 – 2 Tbs Blackberry Vinaigrette (see recipe above)

fresh cracked pepper (optional)

Assemble the lettuce on a salad plate. Arrange the shredded carrots and beets over the bed of lettuce and top with the blackberries. Drizzle with blackberry vinaigrette.

Whenever I am in a crazy mad dash to get to work in the morning and I have no time to spare, one of my favorite breakfasts to make is a simple smoothie. What I love about a smoothie is that it is quick to assemble, I can take it to work with me, and it’s delicious! My Banana Mango Smoothie is a fresh tropical tasting mixture of banana, mango chunks, ice, and apple juice. Sometimes I like to add a scoop of vanilla flavored protein powder to fill me up and to help keep me from snacking at my desk. Simply toss all ingredients into a blender and within a few minutes, breakfast is served. Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients:

1 banana (peeled and cut into chunks)

1 cup mango chunks (fresh or frozen)

1 – 3 ice cubes

approximately 1 cup apple juice

1 scoop vanilla flavored protein powder (optional)

1 – 2 drops liquid stevia (optional)

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add additional apple juice if desired. Pour in a glass, add straw and serve. Makes 1 serving.

I just have to tell you that I have a new favorite fruit. It’s called a Blood Orange. The name sounds a bit gory but trust me, this amazing citrus fruit is far from it… Just close your eyes and get past the name. Blood Oranges can be a bit smaller in size than a regular orange and bigger than a tangerine. When sliced, they have a gorgeous orange to bright crimson center and they have an outer skin that can be somewhat difficult to peel. Blood Oranges are sweet, juicy and perfect for making a simple Blood Orange Vinaigrette.

What beautiful fruit! As you can see, Blood Oranges are aptly named. Be mindful when handling the oranges, they can stain your clothes and cutting boards.

Making the Blood Orange Vinaigrette is easy. Add all the ingredients to a glass jar, tighten the lid and then give it a good shake to blend all the flavors. Drizzle the Blood Orange Vinaigrette over a plate of fresh greens and Blood Orange segments for a wonderful Blood Orange Salad. Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients:

1/3 cup blood orange juice

2/3 cup olive oil

2 Tbs red wine vinegar

2 Tbs brown sugar

1 Tbs shallots (finely minced)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp blood orange zest

3/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper (or to taste)

Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well to combine all ingredients. Taste and correct your seasonings. Store in the refrigerator tightly covered for up to 4 days. Makes about a cup.

Every spring and summer I dedicate time to plant a vegetable garden. Those who have a vegetable garden knows full well that having one takes quite a bit of work. Fortunately, my garden is small in size. It consists of 2 – 5′ by 8′ raised beds, a 3′ by 6′ planting strip and 5 large half barrel containers. Chances are that you’ll find me in my garden every night after I come home from work. I generally spend about 20 minutes a day watering, weeding, and tending to my vegetables and herbs. It may be an effort but I love it. Gardening is one of those activities that is productive, therapeutic and good for the soul. Not to mention, the ultimate reward is delicious fresh picked vegetables and fruit for you and your family.

Everything that I grow in my little garden is organic. That means I don’t use bug sprays, processed fertilizers or non-organic composts. I prefer it that way. I’m far from perfect but I do try my best to feed my family healthy foods free from chemicals and pesticide residue. So I do take the extra time to pull weeds or deal with garden pests the old fashioned way by plucking them off the leaves by hand. Planting, weeding and watering is the easy part of gardening. Dealing with the garden pests such as snails slugs or beetles is not. It’s not my favorite part of gardening but, left unchecked, those annoying little pests can destroy your precious plants within a few short weeks.

Every year I plant several Green Zebra Tomato plants in addition to the dozen other varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Green Zebra Tomatoes are my son’s favorite variety of tomato so I grow at least three plants just for him. Green zebras are immensely flavorful and have a beautiful green color. And, don’t let the bright green color fool you. The green tomatoes that you see are perfectly ripe and ready to eat. After growing many heirloom varieties for many years, I have learned to pick my tomatoes by touch and feel, and not by color. Why? Heirloom varieties come in a variety of colors such as yellow, green, orange, red and even black. When picking tomatoes, I gently squeeze the fruit to check for ripeness. If it’s too firm, it remains on the vine until it’s ripe and ready to be brought into my kitchen.

My Heirloom Tomato Salad with Green Zebra Vinaigrette is a simple combination of ingredients that packs some serious summertime flavor. Don’t worry if you can’t find Green Zebra Tomatoes… My the tomato vinaigrette can be made with any kind of tomato you wish. Enjoy! Tessa

Grab a small saucepan and heat 1 Tbs olive oil on the stove over medium high heat. Add tomatoes and shallots and cook about 10 minutes stirring constantly, be careful not to burn. Remove from heat and add the white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic and honey. Use an immersion or stick blender and add olive oil slowly until the mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper. Taste and correct your seasonings. Stir in the minced parsley. Cover and chill. Makes about 1 cup. Keep refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for about 3 – 4 days.

It’s been a very long while since I picked up my camera and even thought of logging onto my food blog. It’s not because I’ve lost my passion for cooking, or that I’ve burned out or that I’m the laziest person that I know… It’s just that my day job has completely devoured my personal life for over a year and I can now say that it’s finally starting to wind down. I look forward to regularly getting back into my kitchen and creating healthy (and sometimes not so healthy but totally worth it) home cooked dishes for my family and friends. I also look forward to catching up on what’s been happening at all my favorite food blogs. And with all that said, I’m happy to say that I am thrilled to be back.

Even though I have been busy all year, I still found time to tuck some fresh herbs and flowers in my garden earlier this spring. This season I’ve added a variety of herbs including curled parsley and nasturtiums. The nasturtiums are from seeds that I gathered last fall and the parsley was from starts that I found down at the Grange. I prefer to grow my own herbs. First of all, I know that they are grown organically (I know, because I refuse to use sprays or pesticides), and second, it saves me a bunch of money. Oh, and third, you can’t get any fresher herbs than hand picked straight from the garden.

Nasturtiums are edible annual flowers that I love to add to salads for bright cheerful color and a peppery flavor. They also make gorgeous garnishes on appetizer trays and desserts. They are easy to grow and require very little attention.

Today I want to share with you a simple delicious Shredded Romaine Salad with a tangy Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette. Green salads are an every day part of my family’s diet and this green salad is now one of my new favorites. This salad is super easy to make, bright in flavor and can be served alongside a variety of dishes. This salad was inspired by a salad served at one of my favorite restaurants, the Jacksonville Inn in Jacksonville, Oregon and the Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette recipe was adapted from Epicurius. Serves 4. Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients:

1 large head romaine lettuce

handful fresh picked parsley (washed and minced)

several fresh nasturtium blossoms (washed and lightly chopped)

Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette (recipe below)

salt and pepper to taste

Begin by washing and drying the romaine lettuce. With a sharp knife, cut the romaine lettuce into thin strips. Loosely toss and place onto salad plates (about two cups of lettuce per plate) and garnish with minced parsley and nasturtium blossoms. Lightly drizzle with Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Zest of a large lemon

Juice of a large lemon

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup water

1 Tbs white balsamic vinegar

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/8 tsp white pepper (or to taste)

1/4 cup minced parsley

Whisk all ingredients together and store in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Makes about 1 cup.

Last week I paid close attention to the weather forecast and as a result I went out to my little garden and stripped all my tomato plants of any and all tomatoes that had color. According to the weatherman on the television, summer was officially over. After what I witnessed yesterday, I should have known better. You know what I’m talking about… For example, the meteorologist tells you in the morning that it is going to bright and sunny and by mid afternoon, you wished you had brought an umbrella.

Well, when it comes to the weather, sometimes I need to remind myself that Mother Nature can be very unpredictable. After picking all those tomatoes, I ignored my garden thinking that it was over and done for the season. Nope. Not even remotely close… When I walked out to the garden yesterday, I was astonished at what I saw. There were dozens of tomatoes ready to picked once again. The first thing I thought was, great!, I will have fresh tomatoes for lunch and dinner! The second thing I thought was oh, shii…take mushrooms, there are so many tomatoes left out on the vines and I have a lot of work to do!

Do you see what I mean? Most of the tomatoes will be made into a sauce, some will be roasted, and some will be frozen. Some will be given away, and some will be eaten fresh. You get the picture. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I’m happy to have them. You will however, hear me complain this winter when I don’t have any fresh picked homegrown tomatoes to eat.

These are Indigo Rose Tomatoes. They are small in size, red in color and with a splash of dark purple. These tomatoes are another favorite of mine. They are great roasted, sliced fresh in salads and can even be stuffed with chicken or tuna for wonderful little bite sized appetizers or a light lunch. They are also really pretty and different looking than your average red tomato. A wonderful way to prepare Indigo Rose Tomatoes is to roast them and then toss them with some angel hair pasta, baby spinach, fresh basil, olive oil and fresh grated Romano cheese for light and flavorful dinner. Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients:

1 cup roasted tomatoes (see recipe below)

4 ounces dried angel hair pasta

2 handfuls of baby spinach

1/8 cup fresh basil sliced thinly

1 Tbs olive oil or more as needed

1/2 tsp garlic paste

pinch of red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh grated Romano cheese (more if desired)

garnish with fresh basil

Cook angel hair pasta according to manufacturer’s direction, drain and set aside. If needed, drizzle a bit of olive oil over the pasta to keep it from sticking. Heat a saute pan over a medium high flame. Add roasted tomatoes (with the juice), olive oil, baby spinach, basil, garlic paste, red pepper flakes and cook until the spinach begins to wilt. Add the angel hair pasta and cook until heated through. Add additional olive oil if desired. Add salt and pepper. Taste and correct your seasonings. Place on serving platter, top with Romano cheese and garnish with fresh basil. Makes 2 servings.

How to Oven Roast Tomatoes

This is a simple recipe that will yield some flavorful tomatoes for soups, stews and sauces. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cut tomatoes in half or into large chunks. Gently squeeze out some of the seeds. Toss lightly with olive oil, salt, pepper. I added some sprigs of basil and rosemary for some flavor. Arrange tomatoes in a single layer on a foil lined cookie sheet (for easy cleanup). Bake for 45-60 minutes depending on the size or variety of tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes start to shrivel and get a bit of color or until your liking. Remove from oven, let cool, remove basil and rosemary, place in plastic bags and toss in the refrigerator. Use within a few days. Can be frozen for later use. When freezing the tomatoes, measure the roasted tomatoes and juice in one cup portions and place in sandwich bags. Lay the sandwich bags flat in your freezer in order to maximize your freezer space.

Note: if you don’t like the skins on the tomatoes, just pull the skins off after cooking. They pop off pretty easily.

I’ve never seen purple colored “green beans” at the grocery store before and when I saw the seeds for the Trionfo Violetto Beans in one of my seed catalogs earlier this spring, I knew that I had to grow them myself if I wanted to try them. When it comes to planting vegetables in my little garden every year, I try to grow plants that tend to be uncommon or hard to find at the store. As for the Trionfo Violetto beans, they certainly fit the bill…

Trionfo Violetto Beans

A big handful of fresh picked Trionfo Violetto Beans. I absolutely love the dark purple color. What’s so interesting is that when you slice them, they have a vibrant green center. While picking my beans one morning, I was startled to see a large purple and green dragonfly sitting on a stem in the middle of the vines. I’ve seen dragonflies in our backyard around our koi pond but never on the garden side of the house. This one was big! Its wingspan was easily 4 inches across. I did not have my glasses on so I was way closer to the dragonfly than I would have liked. As soon as I recognized what it was, I pulled my hand slowly away from the beans (taking care not to freak out, scream at the top of my lungs and wake up the neighbors) and ran straight back into the house to grab my camera.

Dragonfly

I was amazed that he was still there in the same spot when I got back! I was fortunate to snap a few photos before he flew away. He was camouflaged extremely well and was very similar in color to the bean plants. I’ve been out to the garden several times since and unfortunately I have not seen this beautiful dragonfly again.

Do you see what I mean about the Trionfo Violetto Beans? They are really beautiful and very unusual. What I found is that once you cook the Trionfo Violetto Beans, they turn green just like a regular green bean!

In addition to the gorgeous Trionfo Violetto Beans, I grew some Kentucky Wonder Green Beans. The Kentucky Wonder variety of bean is similar to the type of green beans you will find at the grocery store. They are your basic “all purpose” green bean. You can put them in salads, cook, can, or freeze them. They are easy to grow and produce an abundance of smooth green pods. I have to say that for the first time growing pole beans, I was fairly successful with strong plants and a decent sized crop.

Green Bean Tomato Salad With Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette

My Green Bean Tomato Salad with a Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette can be made with pretty much any variety of green bean. In this recipe I used the Kentucky Wonder green beans and cherry tomatoes that I grew in my garden. The Green Bean Tomato Salad With Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette is wonderfully tangy yet slightly sweet. The bright colored tomatoes make this vibrant green bean salad a stunning side dish. It’s easy to make, fresh and delicious. Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds green beans trimmed and cut into 1″ sized pieces

1 cup cherry tomatoes

3 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs champagne vinegar

1 Tbs shallot (minced)

2 tsp mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine)

1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and Pepper to taste

Begin by boiling a medium sized pot of water with a big pinch of salt. Add the green beans and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender. Don’t overcook. If you do, your beans will look gray and not a pretty bright green. As soon as the beans are done, immediately place them in a medium sized bowl of ice water. The ice water stops the cooking process and cools the beans. Remove ice cubes and drain well. Meanwhile whisk together in a small bowl, olive oil, champagne vinegar, shallot, mirin, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Taste and correct your seasonings. In a medium sized bowl lightly toss the beans and tomatoes with the Dijon vinaigrette. Add to a serving dish and serve chilled. Makes about 3 servings.

Yesterday morning while Bruce was opening the mail he noticed that our natural gas bill was unusually low as compared to years past. He was concerned, shouted out to me and asked me what I thought of it. Well, the answer was easy. Our kitchen stove uses natural gas and I have hardly cooked anything for the family over the course of the past month or two. If it was not for fast food, roast Costco chicken, or frozen dinners the members of my family would have starved to death…

I’ve been working long hours lately and I’ve rarely spent time in my kitchen. My refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave have been the only appliances that have been put to use. My stove, ovens and stand mixer have been idle and collecting dust. My camera has remained in the closet and has not been touched. By the time I get home in the evenings all I want to do is sit on my couch in complete peace and quiet. I stopped reading my magazines, books and favorite food blogs. I’ve hardly checked Facebook and ignored my personal emails. Feral Kitchen has been mothballed and a good home cooked meal has been nonexistent in our home. On the bright side, I know that these long hours are temporary and life will be back to normal before I know it. I look forward to getting back into the kitchen. Cooking makes me happy.

Well, all things considered, today is a brand new day. Today is different. Today, I have a day off!

This morning while out shopping for groceries for the week, I spied two pounds of fresh picked blueberries. They were just gorgeous! Bright blue, fat and juicy. Without hesitation, they went straight into my shopping basket. I knew what I wanted to do with them. I wanted to make some blueberry bread for breakfast and maybe even share some with coworkers during the busy work week. The rest will be packed in my lunch and the others will be made into a tangy blueberry ginger vinaigrette. If the vinaigrette turns out the way I want it to taste, I will be sure to share the recipe with you sometime soon.

I love blueberries! I love the flavor and color. What’s funny about blueberries is that I refused to eat them as a child. How weird is that? I find it so interesting how my palate has changed as I’ve aged. I’m curious, has that happened to you too?

My blueberry bread is packed with fresh plump blueberries and is not too sweet. A slice or two is great with a cup of coffee or tea. Any leftover loaves are perfect for sharing with friends and family or as a hostess gift. Makes 3 delicious loaves. It’s good to be back. See you again soon! Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients:

4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

2 Tbs baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup canola oil

2 tsp lemon extract

3 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, canola oil, and lemon extract. Add blueberries to the wet ingredients. Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until moist and lumpy. Don’t over mix. Add mixture to 3 greased 4 x 8 loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before slicing. Makes 3 fabulous loaves!

Every year, early in the spring I plant radishes from seed in my little garden. Since my garden is so small, I tuck the radishes rows between some of the slower growing vegetables such as broccoli or cabbage in order to utilize precious garden space. Radishes are amazingly fast and easy to grow. All they need is water and warm spring days. Within 3 weeks after sowing the seeds, I am able to harvest crunchy little radishes for salads and snacks.

Thin sliced crunchy red radishes…

My Radish and Sesame Seed Salad is one of my favorite ways to prepare fresh picked radishes from my garden. It’s vibrant in color and has wonderful Asian inspired flavors. Next time you plant a garden, try sowing a few radish seeds. Enjoy! Tessa

Ingredients

3 cups thinly sliced red radishes

2 Tbs Mirin (sweet cooking wine)

2 Tbs sesame oil

2 Tbs rice vinegar

1 tsp black sesame seeds

1 tsp minced ginger

1/2 tsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

fresh cilantro, green onion or chives for garnish

Thinly slice the radishes with a mandolin or sharp knife. Set aside. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the Mirin, sesame oil, rice vinegar, black sesame seeds, ginger, garlic and salt. Add radishes and toss. Place in the refrigerator and let marinate for about 45 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro, green onions or chives. Makes 4 servings.

I’m so excited! Spring has finally arrived in Southern Oregon! According to the calendar, “technically” it’s still winter. According to what is happening in my backyard, the calendar is way wrong :)…

A crocus blossom… One of the first flowers to make an appearance in our backyard early in the season. I love the bright orange stamens and the purple and white streaked petals. I have them planted in many places in our yard. Some reside in pots, some are tucked under bushes and trees. Crocuses grow only a few inches tall and come back every year during the month of March.

This is a shot of some pansies that I have planted in a hanging pot on my back patio. Pansies are a regular staple to our yard in the spring and fall. Every time I look at them they make me smile. I enjoy the bright and cheerful colors outside my kitchen window.

A close-up shot of a pansy blossom. I was thrilled to capture this image with my camera. Through the lens of my camera, I was able to see this amazing amount of detail on the flower. I can’t see this level of detail even with my reading glasses on.

A tulip poking its way through the soil. I look forward to a big vase full of bright red blossoms on our dining room table in a short couple of weeks.

Purple crocus. What’s not to like about that deep rich indigo color?

Even the koi fish in our pond are starting to surface for the first handfuls of feed of the year. This is Pumpkin… He’s one of the original fish to live in our pond. He’s almost 2 feet long and about 10 years old. I remember the day when Bruce and I purchased him. He was about 4 inches in length and shared a plastic bag with four other fish on the trip home. Several years later, we now have a total of 8 koi fish happily living in our pond.

Whenever I think of spring, one of the first things that come to mind is fresh picked strawberries. I purchased a couple of pints of strawberries the other day and one of the things that I wanted to do with them was to make a spring like strawberry vinaigrette. My Strawberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette is a wonderfully pink colored salad dressing made with fresh strawberries, red wine vinegar, local honey, Dijon Mustard, canola oil and poppy seeds. It’s a delicious vinaigrette to serve drizzled over a plate of fresh picked greens and sliced strawberries. Enjoy! Tessa

Strawberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette Ingredients:

1/4 pound strawberries (cleaned and hulled)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbs honey or to taste

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 cup canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds or to taste

Add strawberries, red wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard and canola oil to a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Splash more vinegar into the dressing if you want… Mix in the poppy seeds. Makes 1 cup or 16 – 1 Tablespoon servings. Store in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days.

Green Salad (per serving)

2 cups fresh lettuce

1 thinly sliced radish

2 strawberries (hulled and quartered)

1/4 cup thinly sliced radicchio

1 Tbs Strawberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette (or to taste)

Assemble by placing salad greens on a plate. Arrange radishes, strawberries and radicchio on top of the greens. Drizzle greens with the Strawberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette. Makes one serving.